Anesthetic effects of the ketamine and midazolam association by intranasal or intramuscular route in domestic chickens: prospective, blinded, randomized and crossover study

• Published in: Revista brasileira de medicina veterinária 2024, Vol.46, p.e005953
• Main Authors: Adão, Fernanda Meirelles, Martins, Isabella Danon, Dos Passos, Álvaro Alberto Moura Sá, de Moraes, Renata Fernandes Ferreira, Balthazar, Daniel de Almeida, de Carvalho, Eduardo Butturini
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• ISSN: 0100-2430; 2527-2179; 2527-2179
• DOI: 10.29374/2527-2179.bjvm005923

This prospective, blinded, randomized crossover study aimed to assess the anesthetic effects of the combination of 30 mg/kg ketamine and 2 mg/kg midazolam via intranasal (IN) or intramuscular (IM) routes in twelve domestic chickens. Physiological parameters (respiratory rate - RR, heart rate - HR, and cloacal temperature -Tºcloacal) were monitored throughout the experiment, along with recovery time and sedation level (S0: awake, no recumbency, responsive to stimuli; S1: blinking eyes, recumbency, relaxed, response to stimulus, mild movement; S2: open eyes, recumbency, relaxed, mild response to stimuli; S3: closed eyes, recumbency, relaxed, no movement). In the IM group, all birds reached S3, while in IN 5/12 reached S3, 4/12 reached at most S1, and 1/12 at most S2. IM administration showed higher sedation at 5, 10, 15, 20, 30, 35, 40, and 45 minutes (p